You've probably tried this before, but the only thing that works for me is copious amounts of chamois butt'r pre-ride, clean up (shower or alcohol swab) immediately after, and soaking in the tub at least once a day for 10 minutes.

This doesn't entire get rid of them, but it keeps them small enough that they won't bother you until after the series is over and you can take a week off to rid yourself of them completely.

Rumor has it that Lance uses Assos Cream. Similar to Chamios Butter, slightly thicker and not as viscous at Bag Balm. I attended a class in 2004 and the trainer said that which is best depends on the length of the ride. The shorter the ride, the less viscos the cream needs to be. For the long rides, only Bag Balm will have the staying power to survive the ride.

Since you have tried all the common tricks and remedies, let me recommend a trick that I have used when I was racing that did wonders. I applied an old trick I learned from backpacking and hiking: double layers. To help prevent blisters on the feet, wear a thin wicking liner sock that provides a shear point between the outer sock, the boot and the skin. For the derriere, wear a unpadded pair of liner shorts that wick out a material such as Coolmax™; Duofold™ makes such undershorts, boxer briefs out of Coolmax™, that are snug fitting with flat seams. My special formula has been Corona Ointment™ (available at feed and farm supply stores) applied to the delicate areas, the liner shorts then a good pair of padded bike shorts. Keep on hand 2-3 pairs of liner shorts and good quality bike shorts so you always have a clean dry pair for the next ride. Wash the shorts out immediately after every ride to prevent bacterial build up.

If you are having some serious boils, redness, swelling or local warmth it is time to get out of the saddle and get to a doctor. Occasionally, persistent saddle sores can be a sign of a an infection or a deep seated cyst or fissure that needs to be managed medically and or surgically.

(BTW: I am not getting promotional consideration from Duofold™ or Corona Ointment™, these are products that I use because they work for me. However, if these manufacturers want to consider sponsorship of TMBRA for my product endorsements, that's cool by me )

You need to go to a dermatologist. If they are boils you probably have a staff infection and riding is making them surface. High $$ antibiotics is the only thing that will cure this. I speak from experiance.

My family owns a chemical company that manufacturers products for hotels, hospitals, industrial and commercial laundries and through the years have been forced to learn a thing or two. There are cleaning and finishing procedures for: hotel sheets and bedding, nursing homes, hospitals and commercial linen that are standard and proven to work for all cloth to prevent bacteria proliferation and kill those that can lead to staph, hepatitis etc..along with other infectious critters.

Typical (all) detergents have a high Ph which when residual is in your cycling shorts (padding) it creates irritation against your skin and your home washer cannot eliminate the higher Ph due to short rinsing. All laundering applications of cloth (any) where irritation (rash) or bacteria are a concern need to be finished at a ph of 5.5 give or take a .5 margin. This cannot be accomplished with home detergents and washing machines.

In other words make sure your shorts are very clean and don't have residual detergent. You can still wash them in a machine (need hot water - 160deg. F is the standard temp for killing bacteria), but need to make sure you then rinse them by hand with tap water. Also, when you wash your shorts use a product like Oxyclean (sodium percarbonate) which is the stuff they refer to as non-chlorine bleach. It will not harm the shorts and will disinfect them in leiu of chlorine. Finally, if you want to make sure the shorts are neutralized from a build up of detergent you can soak them in the sink with about one - two cups of white distilled vinegar added to a sink full of water.

1. Control the bacterial properties of your shorts
2. Apply the chamois grease
3. Make sure your skin touching the pad is also disinfected. For disinfecting your privates prior to putting on your shorts use a perrineal spray or something like purell (alcohol).

...
In other words make sure your shorts are very clean and don't have residual detergent. You can still wash them in a machine (need hot water - 160deg. F is the standard temp for killing bacteria), but need to make sure you then rinse them by hand with tap water. Also, when you wash your shorts use a product like Oxyclean (sodium percarbonate) which is the stuff they refer to as non-chlorine bleach. It will not harm the shorts and will disinfect them in leiu of chlorine. Finally, if you want to make sure the shorts are neutralized from a build up of detergent you can soak them in the sink with about one - two cups of white distilled vinegar added to a sink full of water....

Well I got a front-loading washing machine that extra rinses as well as spins the laundry at > 1400 RPM's between rinse cycles, so I though that ought to do it. I currently use Woolite because it's cheap. Maybe I'll try the Oxiclean but I think 160 def. F water will kill the lycra / spandex / rubber components of shorts and athletic wear much more quickly than I can by wearing them out!

The front loading washers are superior to top loading washers and they will give you the extraction and rinse needed, as you mentioned. Woolite is probably the best choice of detergents because it has a neutral Ph. The oxiclean will do it's job in warm water as well, the 160 deg. is just an industry standard for disinfection.